2009 Unit Types
The following is an explanation of the capabilities of the various types of military unit that were available during the 2009 round. Also included were more researched technologies that had not been added to the wiki by the end of the round. =Army= Conscripts Forced against their will into the army and armed with sub par training, poor weaponry and even poorer moral conscripts are a staple in the armies of many poorer countries. Cheap and quick to mobilise in large numbers conscripts are effective when deployed in large numbers to plug a gap or overwhelm a numerically inferior enemy. However, when deployed in small numbers against a technologically strong enemy, conscripts will suffer badly. Infantry Willing volunteers, Infantry are better disciplined, trained and equipped then their conscript counterparts. The backbone of every army in the world Infantry are a versatile force that can adapt to fight many enemies, however, they are best against other soldiers and their primary weakness is against armour and air attacks Rocket Infantry Like infantry, Rocket Infantry are volunteers, however, they are equipped with rocket launchers and MANPADS (Man-Portable Air-Defence System). Unlike infantry, they are effective against most armour and aircraft, however, they are vulnerable to regular infantry and conscripts. Special Forces The elite of an army, the Special Forces are trained to do the jobs the infantry can't. Deploying by land, sea or air with the best training and equipment your country is willing to buy Special forces are effective against all other ground troops and are also able to carry out more dangerous missions such as inserting behind enemy lines. However, they still remain weak against armoured units. Technicals A common sight in the armies of African Warlords but also present as advanced units in first world armies. A technical is a light vehicle, usually a pick-up with a heavy machine gun, RPG or AA gun attached. Able to carry a small detachment of men, Technicals are able to outmanoeuvre slower armies and harass enemy lines. Extremely effective against infantry and artillery Technicals will fare badly if they come up against any sort of armour or rocket infantry. Main Battle Tanks (MBT) A main Battle Tank is a heavily armoured fighting machine, armed with a heavy gun capable of launching high explosive shells as far as three miles. Tanks are sturdy bits of kit, highly effective against infantry and all other ground vehicles they do however have their weaknesses, Rocket Infantry, Air power and artillary can all ruin a tank commanders day. However if you need to bust through a nations defences, tanks are the way to go. Super Heavy Tanks (SHT) A Super Heavy Tank is a much heavily armed and larger version of a Main Battle tank, armed with top of the range weapons. Being a larger vehicle the SHT has room to include an active protecton system. The Chinese version of the SHT uses lasers for this purpose. It will easily destroy tanks, IFVs, APCs and will stand a good chance against helicopters. Unfortunately, however, the super heavy tank is not very good against infantry and also it's larger size and slower movement makes it vulnerable to air attacks. Nations wishing to operate an SHT must have Chemistry Materials Level 3. Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) An IFV is a smaller tank designed to move troops in and out of high intensity combat situations as well as providing covering fire. Strong against infantry and lighter enemy vehicles, IFVs are vulnerable to much the same things as Tanks. Para-dropped fighting Vehicle (PFV) A PFV is a lighter armoured version of the Infantry Fighting Vehicle. It's key difference is that it is able to be airdropped while containing infantry soldiers, providing airborne invasions with an armoured unit. It allows air drops to become quickly mobile once landed and also gives them protection against heavier enemy weapons. Their lighter armour means they are less effective then their IFV counterparts, but their IFV counterparts cannot be pushed out of a plane and survive. Artillery Artillery is a designation given to units designed to attack enemy positions at long distances, often up to 20 km. Effective against almost anything that is on the ground they can blow apart infantry and punch through tank armour. However, artillery is very poor at short ranges and very hard to defend, and extremely vulnerable to air attacks. Surface to Air Missile (SAM) Surface to air missiles are missiles designed to shoot down aircraft. Effective against all non stealth aircraft, they can be used as a last resort much less effectively against ground targets. While effective against air units, SAMs will fare very poorly against ground units. =Navy= Fast Patrol Boat The fast patrol boat is a locally manufactured/modified boat used for coastal defence. These vessels are not ocean going and are typically small commercially produced boats with a heavy machine gun or rocket launcher fixed onto the deck. Littoral Combat Corvette Larger than an FPB and smaller than a frigate, the Littoral Combat Corvette occupies the size range of the old Corvette designation. These vessels are designed to work in shallower waters than frigates or destroyers, but to provide a larger amount of firepower than the FPB. These vessels are designed to be suited for multiple roles making them the workhorse of the shallow-water fleet. Due to the multi-role capabilities of these vessels, different units have different capabilities. Stealth Missile Corvette Based on the ideas of the Littoral Combat Corvette, the SMC was designed to fill very specific role. Adding Stealth capabilities to the small ship makes it harder to see on RADAR. What makes this ship truly dangerous is the addition of launch systems for a small number of Cruise Missiles. Missile capacities are quoted as the carrying capacity for the SMC. Frigate Frigates are small, ocean going, surface combatant vessels used in a variety of roles in navies around the world. From escorting high value military and commercial vessels (such as aircraft carriers and oil tankers) to enforcing a nations' EEZ, the Frigate finds itself a valuable asset no matter the nation's naval priorities. In recent times Frigates have found a niche in anti-submarine warfare, which is their strength. However, despite some air-defence ability, it can cope with neither massive aerial threats nor larger surface combatants. Many Frigates included in the game usually have the capacity to carry an Anti-Submarine Helicopter. For the purposes of the game, we assume that this is simply a part of the Frigate's weaponry. Therefore Frigates are not quoted as having a carrying capacity. Guided Missile Destroyer Destroyers are moderately sized, ocean going, surface combatant vessels used by large and mid-sized navies around the world. Along with carrying much of the same armament as frigates, destroyers also maintain the ability to launch cruise missiles from vertical launch tubes and have enhanced anti-air defence. They are not, however, specialized in anti-submarine warfare and so are vulnerable to attacks from submarines. Missile capacities are quoted as the carrying capacity for Destroyers. Light Aircraft Carrier Light aircraft carriers are moderately sized, ocean going, naval vessels used to provide air support to naval operations. Capable of carrying fighters, helicopters and UAVs, and ranging in capacity from a half dozen to twenty aircraft, these ships provide vital air assets to navies operating away from friendly shores. Although some nations consider these ships indispensable, they have no combat capability beyond the aircraft they carry. Helicopters and UAVs cost 1 carrying point. Fighters cost 2 carrying points. Nations hoping to operate the Light Carrier must have Carrier Level 1 Super Carrier Super Carriers are large, ocean going, naval vessels used to provide air support to naval and land operations. Capable of carrying large quantities of fighters, bombers, UAVs, helicopters and AWACS aircraft, these ships are essentially transportable air forces. Like their smaller brothers however, they have no combat capability beyond the aircraft they carry. Helicopters and UAVs cost 1 carrying point. Fighters, Bombers, Stealths and Transport Helicopters cost 2 carrying points. AWACS cost 4 carrying points. Nations hoping to operate the Super Carrier must have Carrier Level 2 Battleship Nations hoping to operate a 90s Battleship must have Engineering Level 4 Diesel/Electric Submarine (SSK) Diesel Electric Submarines are small, ocean going, naval vessels capable of submerging themselves beneath the water. Typically used to hunt other submerged threats, attack heavily defended targets and conduct various kinds of covert operations, these vessels are difficult to track. However, as they operate from batteries while submerged, these ships must surface regularly in order to recharge their batteries. While surfaced, diesel electric submarines have very limited defensive capabilities. Nuclear Submarine (SSN) Nuclear submarines are small, ocean going, naval vessels capable of submerging themselves beneath the water for extended periods of time. Much like diesel/electric submarines, these vessels are used to hunt other submerged threats, attack heavily defended targets and conduct various kinds of covert operations. Difficult to track and not needing to surface for weeks on end, these ships can pose a serious threat to naval assets anywhere in the world. Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN) Nuclear ballistic missile submarines are moderately size, ocean going, naval vessels that carry -- and can launch -- cruise missiles and ICBMs and also have the ability to submerge themselves beneath the water for extended periods of time. Although they have some ship-to-ship combat ability, these vessels primary purpose is to avoid detection and maintain the ability to launch their weapons against land-based targets should the need ever arise. As such, they are difficult to detect but once found have little defence against other naval vessels. Missile capacities are quoted as the carrying capacity for SSBNs =Air Force= Fighter Jets Fighter jets are fast manoeuvrable jets designed for air to air combat. They are best used to escort ground attack craft and defend them against enemy aircraft, and to shoot down enemy aircraft. Fighters are weak against rocket Infantry and SAMs as well as the more advance stealth fighters. Nations hoping to operate Modern Fighters must have Aerospace Level 1. Bomber Bombers are planes used to directly attack ground units. Carrying High Explosive bombs they are effective against most ground units. However, bombers are extremely vulnerable to enemy fighters and Surface to Air missiles. They are also much less accurate then, for example, a cruise missiles. Bombers can load-out with Anti-Shipping Missiles (ASM) for naval warfare, but this must be requested in the mission orders. Nations hoping to operate Modern Bombers must have Aerospace Level 2. Attack Helicopter Helicopters are air units that are fantastic for providing close air support against enemy ground units and armour and for deep strike missions. However, they are vulnerable to Anti Air weaponry. Helicopters, it should be noted, can easily fly under radar. Stealth Aircraft Stealth Aircraft are almost completely invisible to enemy air tracking systems. As such they are very effective when used for surprise attacks. They are also superior to most fighter jets in air combat capabilities. Nations hoping to operate Stealth Aircraft must have Aerospace Level 3. Interceptor Interceptor aircraft are designed to protect a very specific area of territory. Due to this they are designed to have a very short range. This shortcoming is counterbalanced by the fact that the aircraft can be heavier, thus giving it superior offensive and defensive capabilities to most aircraft in operation today. Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV) UCAVs are similar to their UAV counterparts but with added weapons. The UCAV however is not quite as deadly as a fully fledged bomber and as they are often controlled by civilian controllers can sometimes be a grey area in regards to the laws of war. In addition UAVs due to a lack of human control sometimes can go missing or not return from their missions. =Intelligence= AWACS Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS) is a airborne radar system designed to detect aircraft, Used at a high altitude, the radars allow the operators to distinguish between friendly and hostile aircraft hundreds of miles away. AWACS aircraft are used for defensive and offensive air operations. The system is used offensively to direct fighters to their target locations, and defensively to counter attacks. It can also be used to carry out surveillance and serves as a battlefield command and control post. Used properly AWACS can give your side a huge advantage, and as such are important targets for your enemy. UAV The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is a small short-range, remote-controlled, drone aircraft with live video cameras attached. They are used to supply vital information about the locations of troops and equipment in the immediate vicinity of the operators. Satellite A satellite is an orbiting camera that can be positioned to take a series of still photographs of a target. Photos are then downloaded from the satellite and analysed before information is presented. Satellites do not provide real-time information. Satellites are foiled by cloudy weather and roofs. Satellites can malfunction but are relatively immune from attack as anti-satellite weaponry is still very much in it's infancy. =Transports= Transport Plane Transport planes are able to carry moderately large numbers of men quickly to a deployment location, they may also carry a limited amount of vehicles. However, transport planes need a runway to land on. Transport planes may also be used to deploy paratroopers. Men cost 1 carrying point. Vehicles cost 10 carrying points. Transport Helicopters Slower and with a lower carrying capacity then planes, helicopters do have one noteworthy advantage. They do not need a runway to land on. A helicopter can land in any clearing and deploy men without the vulnerability of air drops. Helicopters also have limited armaments for self defence or limited close air support. Transport Helicopters can only carry men. Transport Boats These are boats that can be used to transport men and equipment. They can carry many more people then planes or APCs, however, they are also much slower and more vulnerable. Men cost 1 carrying point. Vehicles cost 10 carrying points. APC APCs are lightly armed heavily armoured vehicles capable of easily transporting men across even rough land quickly. Much safer for it's passengers then any other mode of transport the APC is key to any army relying on mobility. APCs can only carry men. =Missiles= Tactical Ballistic Missile Tactical Ballistic Missiles (or TBMs) are missiles designed for relatively short ranged battlefield use. With a range of around 300km, TBMs are also less accurate then their Cruise Missile counterparts. They can be fitted with chemical and biological warheads. Cruise Missile Cruise missiles are bigger and more accurate then their TBM brothers. Their range is significantly larger and they will typically do much more damage on impact. Whilst damaging on their own, they can be fitted with a single nuclear, biological or chemical warhead. Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles As their name suggests, ICBMs are large enough to fly great distances, even between continents. ICBMs are fitted by default with a non-nuclear explosive warhead. Whilst this warhead is damaging, the power of the ICBM comes from the fact that it may be fitted with a number of nuclear warheads. The number fitted varies depending on the manufacturer of the missile and the warhead. However warheads can only be fitted to do damage up to the maximum quoted figure. =Warheads= Chemical Chemical warheads are devastating weapons which uses toxic chemicals to kill or disable enemies. On of the most common forms of chemical weapons is gas warfare. Chemical weapons are useful as they can kill humans and leave vehicles undamaged. Beware though, not every nation will accept the use of chemical weapons. Biological Biological weapons utilise bio agents to damage enemies. Usually this is in the form of a biological disease contained within the warhead which can spread through the enemies ranks incapacitating or even killing them with minimal effort. By their nature, Bio weapons tend to be slower-acting than chemical weapons. However, diseases are unpredictable, so biological weapons are perhaps not the safest weapons to use. Nuclear The ultimate weapon, nuclear bombs are devastating weapons. Able to wipe out cities in the blink of an eye and irradiate the area for many years to come it is no wonder people fear them so much.